Manifolding account device.



No. 68!,917. Patented Sept. 3, l90l.

C. W. INGLEDUE.

MANIFOLDING ACCOUNT DEVICE.

, (Application filed June 7, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I..

(No Model.)

m: npnms PETERS co.. momu'ma. WASNINGTGN, uv c.

UNITED STATES CHARLES W. INGLED PATENT OFFICE.

UE, OF 'LIMA, OHIO.

MANIFOLDING ACCOUNT DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,917, datedSeptember 3, 1901.

Application filed June 7, 1900. Serial No. 19,436. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known-that LOHARLEs W. INGLEDUE, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Lima, in the county of Allen and State of Ohio, haveinvented a new and useful Manifolding Account Device, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a manifolding account apparatus or machine;and the object of the same is to provide simple and effective means forconducting the accounts of a retail business without resorting to theordinary pass-book or other well-known methods with resultant accuracyand in a more expeditious manner by producing at least three entries atone operation,one on a ledgeraccount pad, another on a check-strip whichis separated and handed to the customer or purchaser at the time thesale is made, and a third on a record-strip which remains in the machineand serves as a ready means for ascertaining whether there has been anymistake in the entry of sales during the day or other period, the saidthird strip remaining constantly in the possession of the dealer.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of theseveral parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine embodyingthe features of the invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of thesame,showinga portion of the frame open. Fig. 8 is a longitudinalvertical section through the front portion of the machine. Fig. 4 isatransverse vertical section through the entire device. Fig. 5 is adetail perspective view of one of the partitions of the case attachmentfor holding the ledger-account pads or tablets. Fig. 6 is an enlargedlongitudinal sectional View with parts in elevation through the portionsof the manifolding devices and incidental features located in and belowthe top opening in the casing. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective View ofportions of the device to particularly show the holder.

Similarnumerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts in the several Views.

The numeral 1 designates a casing which has a substantially fiat top toform a rest and is provided with hinged front sections 2 and 3, whichopen outwardly, a central removable section 4:, and a rearcover-strip-5, with a central seat-recess 6 therein extendingtransversely thereof and formed with a bottom '7, having a downwardinclination toward the front of the casing. The top portion of themachine on which the manifolding operation is carried on is exposedthrough the center of the top of the casing and the recess leads to aportion thereof which will be hereinafter explained. The front of thecasing is also provided with a drop hinged section 8 to permitinspection of the inclosed mechanism for the purpose of readjustment orarrangement of the several parts or to render the paper-rolls orsupporting devices and manifolding elements accessible for replenishmentor otherv manipulation. In the upper part of the casing longitudinalrails 9, 10, and 11 are fixed and spaced apart from each other, anddepending from the rails 9 and 10, near the right end of the casing, area pair of hangers 12, which rotatively support a paperroll 13, on whicha paper strip 14 is wound and adapted to be drawn therefrom toward theleft end of the machine in a manner which will be presently set forth.Depending from the same rails and inward from the hangers 12 is anotherpair of hangers 15, which rotatably support a paper-roll 16, carrying apa per strip 17. The latter strip in the operation of the machine iswound upon a roll 18, having rotatable bearing in hangers 19 at theother end of the machine or casing, and extending through the saidlatter roll is a shaft 20, which is also supported by a third hanger 21at the front.

rounded by a belt 23, which also runs over a pulley 24. on an uppershaft 25, projected through the upper portion of the front side of thecasing and provided with a crankhandle 26 to thereby operate the roll 18to wind the strip 17 thereon. The bottom 7 of the recess 6 has ametallic plate 27 secured thereon, which extends beyond the confines ofthe said recess at the front over the rail 9 and fastened to the rail10. Metallic rests 28 are also secured to rails 9 and 10 by suitablemeans, and supported above the said rests is an intermediatehorizontally-disposed metallic plate 28, which serves to assist in Onthe front end of the said shaft a pulley 22 is secured and sur- 9oproducing a resistance sufficient to cause the Writing and manifoldin goperation carried on above the said plate to be successfully andpractically accomplished by interposing an unyielding element, themanifolding and other devices below the said plate holding the latter inproper position to perform its function normally in a plane parallelwith the extended plate 27 beneath. Exposed through the opening in thetop of the casing, as clearly shown by Fig. 7, is a holder 29,comprising a side bar 30, connected at the right end to a pintle 31,haviugpivotal bearing in the adjacent portions of the rests 2S andextending transversely across from one .tothe other of the latter. Tothe left end of the bar 30 is connected a pressure-bar 32, in which anautifrictional roller 33 is mount ed, and over the said bar 32 and theroller therein a cap 33 of angular form is secured and has a dependingmember 34 with a lower straight edge 35 to provide means for severingthe paper strip 14 into lengths after the impression is made. Beneaththe normal position of the bar 32 and roller 33 is a combinedpressure-receiving and guide roller 36, which is mounted on the shaft25, and between the rollers 33 and 36 the paper strips are fed. Asheet-metal retainer is disposed on the holder 29 and comprises atransverse arm 37, movably connected to the pintle 31 and integrallyformed or otherwise secured to a longitudinal arm 38, located at thefront and provided with a terminal knuckle 39 at its free end toadjustably receive the screwthreaded shank 40 of atransversely-extending securing-bar 41, located adjacent the right sideof the bar 32. To the bar 41 the one extremity of a manifolding-strip 42is attached by winding the same thereon, as shown, the said latter stripextending longitudinally over the central portion of the holder andunder the pintle 31 to a yielding support 43, having bearing in therails 9 and 10 and on which the greater portion of the saidmanifolding-strip is primarily wound. The said strip 42 can be adjustedover the holder by turning the bar 41, and the latter is secured infixed position by a nut 44, engaging the shank 40 and binding againstthe adjacent edge of the arm 38 of the retainer.

- By making the bar 41 flat it is more eifective in holding the strip 42thereon, and it will be seen that the retainer as an entirety keeps thesaid strip in flat position in the center of the holder 29 when down orthat the said manifolding-strip can be easily elevated by raising thesaid retainerand permit inspection orarrangement of the strips and partsbeneath. Surrounding the intermediate metallic plate 28* and the paperstrip 17, which is normally located above said plate, is atransverselypositioned and movable manifolding strip 45, which isdoubled and has one portion extending under the said plate and the otherportion over the paper strip and plate. The two parts of the strip 45run down under the section 4 of the top of the casing and respectivelypass over guides 46, supported in hangers 47, the said guides beingspaced apart, and thereby keep the parts of the strip 45 in spacedrelation, as shown, for direction downwardly to lower winding-rolls 48and 49, mounted in uprights 50, secured to and rising from the bottom 51of the casing. As shown by Fig. 4, the roll 48 is provided with anoperating-crank 52, by means of which the strip 45 may be wound on thesaid roll from the roll 49 to change its position around the plate 28and the paper strip 17 to prevent too much use in one place, and at anytime found necessary the said strip 45 may be rewound on the roll 48.From the disclosure as thus far made it will be seen thatthe one manifolding-strip ext-ends and can be shifted longitudinally of the machineand the other manifolding-strip runs and may be moved transversely ofthe latter, with the material advantage of obtaining the use of the twostrips without rendering the mechanism complex or of complicating theoperation of deriving double manifolds by a cumbersome overlap of theseveral strips. The surrounding walls of the openingin the top of thecasing are out under at an angle to facilitate feeding and positioningthe several strips without close hearing or scraping thereon, and theoperation of the device for the purpose intended is carried on throughthe rotation of the shaft 25 to change the position of the paper strip17 under the holder and the hand manipulation of the strip 14. It isproposed to use anykind of manifolding-strips adapted for the purpose;but it has been found by practical test that manifolding paper stripsare preferable on account of their cleanly nature, durability, andcheapness. The rolls or supports for the windings of the several stripswill also be made removable in any of the many well-known ways, and themechanism at the front of the device is fully inclosed and protected asfar as practicable without interfering with the operation sought. At therear of the casing is an upwardly-extending rack 52, which is supportedby the rear extension of the bottom 51, and comprises a closed back 53,an inclined bottom 54, sides 55, inclined similarly to the bottom, andan upper end closure 56, fastened to the upper part of the back 53. Theinclination of the sides 55 gives the front of the rack an upward andrearward slope relatively to the horizontal plane of the top of thecasing, and at-regular distances apart in the said rack are transversepartitions 57, formed with kerfs 53, which are longitudinally alined toreceive longitudinal sheet-metal partitions 59. The partitions dividethe rack into a series of pockets, which may be varied in dimensions byremoving or changing the positions of the partitions 59, and the kerfs58 only extend partially through the partitions 57 in a verticaldirection. As shown by Fig. 5, each of the partitions 59 has a series ofslots IIO 60, extending upwardly thereinto from the bottom to embracethe lower portions of the partitions 57, which are not kerfed. Theoppo'site lower end portions of the partitions 59 are also formed withrecesses 61, having a depth equal to half the width of the slots 60 forobvious reasons, and the width of the partition 59 in each instance fromthe upper limit of the slots 60 and recesses 61 is seated in the kerfs58 of the said partitions 57. The separated depending portions of thepartition 59 are bent at a right angle at their lower extremities 62 toform horizontal bottoms for the pockets, and the free edge of the bentportion of each partition 59 bears against the adjacent portion of thepartition next in advance, as clearly shown by Fig. 4, and therebytheformation of the several pockets is made complete. The pockets. areformed in the rack to removably receive ledger-account pads or tablets63, as shown by Fig. 1, and which will bear the names of various personstrading with a dealer or merchant and carrying on a credit with thelatter. The top portions of the leaves of these tablets are fastened, asindicated in Fig. 4:, and when the machine is arranged for operation thepad or tablet desired to be used is pushed down into the recess 6 overthe metal plate 27 and under the lower portion of themanifolding-strip45 under the plate 28, and the leaf of the pad to be inscribed with theaccount is drawn up wardly over the retainer and rests on themanifolding-strip i2, and immediately below the latter the paper strip14 will be located. The paper strip will also be above the upper portionof the manifolding-strip 45, and by writing on the leaf of the padresting over the retainer the matter written will be accuratelymanifolded on the strips 14 and 17. After the articles purchased havebeen recorded on the leaf of the pad the latter is withdrawn anddisposed in its proper pocket in the rack, the paper strip 14 severed ata proper point and handed to the purchaser, and the strip 17 shifted bythe mechanism heretofore explained to bring a clear portion thereofunder the holder for a subsequent similar operation. A transfer is madein the books of the dealer or merchant from the pads, and the strip 17remains in the machine for inspection and use at any time to check up orverify the accounts or to assist in locating a mistake. This retentionof accounts is particularly essential to the effectiveness of theimproved machine for the purpose intended in view of a possible loss ormisplacement of any one or a number of the pads and to always maintainan accurate record for posting. The mode of procedure disclosed inconnection with the improved machine dispenses with the necessity of theuse of pass books and like credit methods, which are disadvantages andlead to disagreements and contentions which result fromimperfectaccounts or nefarious tamper ing with the books or a failure to bringsuch devices to the dealer to have the proper en tries made therein.Many other advantages will appear from time to time to those using theimproved machine, and it is obviously apparent that changes in the form,size, proportions, and minor details may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the principle of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In amanifolding-machine of the character setforth, the combination ofmanifoldingstrips, one arranged above and at an angle to the other andadapted to have impression-receiving devices inserted between andmounted over the same, mechanism for operating said strips, and a holdermovably mounted over said strips and having a tearing edge at one side.

2. In a manifolding-machine of the character set forth, the combinationof manifoldingstrips, one being arranged at an angle to and looped underthe other and adapted to receive impression-depositing devices between,over and under the same, and means for operating the said strips.

3. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination ofmanifolding-strips disposed at an angle to each other and adapted toreceive impression devices over, under and between the same, a hingedretainer over the upper strip, and a holder movably mounted over thestrips and having a tearing edge at one side.

4.. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination ofmanifolding-strips arranged to have paper strips pass between them, oneof said manifolding-strips being doubled and disposed at an angle to theother, a holder hinged at one end and located over the saidmanifolding-strips and having an inclosing cap at the end opposite thehinged end with a depending outer member formed with a tearing edge forsevering a portion of the paper strips and an antifrictional roller insaid cap, and a pressure-receiving and guide roller having a stationaryplane of retation directly below said antifrictional roller.

5. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination ofmanifolding-strips arranged to receive paper strips between them,- theone manifolding-strip being doubled and extending in a plane at an angleto that of the other, and a plate between portions of the saidmanifolding-strips.

6. A machine of the character set forth having two independently-mountedmanifolding strips, one of the said strips being doubled and arranged inaplane at an angle to the other.

7. In a machine of the class set forth, the combination of a casinghaving a top with a transversely-extending recess, a plate 'pro jectingfrom the bottom of said recess transversely of the machine, one end ofthe plate being higher than the other, manifoldingstrips arranged abovethe lower portion of the said recess and plate, one of said strips beingabove and at an angle to the other, and my own I have hereto affixed mysignature in means for controlling the movement of the the presence oftwo witnesses. strips, the strips being adapted to haveimpression-receiving devices disposed between CHARLED INGLEDUE" 5 themand. the transverse recess to receive WVitnesses:

pads with loose leaves. 0. L. FEss,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as A. L. FREET.

